In the press’ protests against the government and municipal councils in foreign settlements from 1912 to 1913, the consciousness of safeguarding the right to freedom of speech occupied the dominant position and became the core of the protests. The government was a stronger force compared to the press, but the development of the protest process displayed a trend from confrontation to compromise and consensus due to the flexible and diversified protests by the press. In the press’ struggle for interests, its effectiveness was directly affected by factors such as the meaning construction of the sacredness and inviolability of freedom of speech, the democratic accomplishment of contemporary politicians, and the enhancement of the political effcacy of the newspapermen. In the frst two years of the Republic of China, the press’ struggle for interests was an instrumental or non-confrontational con?ict. It did not impact the social structure, but played a role in reconciling interests and integrating society instead.